Death Keepers
by ZoneRobotnik
Summary: When Phantom goes crazy after merging with Plasmius, Danny is once again put on the Final Threshold. And the choice he makes at the end is not one that anyone would expect! (Warning: Much death in this story. And maybe some adult content, eventually. This story's name was chosen by CorrinetheAnime.)
1. I

**After working on "Final Threshold" and "Incomplete", I have decided to show you a little more about Future Danny's progression to Grim Reaper from Danny Phantom. This is his story. ~ Zone  
><strong>

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><p><strong><span>I<span>**

Terror. That's the last thing Danny Fenton felt before those gloved hands were ripping into his chest, red eyes glaring down into his blue eyes as breath and sight came to a slow, painful, agonizing end. Red, that horrible, horrible red…and then black.

And then there was a ticking sound, just echoing all around. He was afraid to open his eyes, afraid of what he might see.

"Hello again, young Fenton! I wondered when we'd be seeing you, after your family came through here. 'Course, you were supposed to have finished your walk a year ago, but you know what happened to prolong your life. Anyways, time to open your eyes. Come on."

That voice… "…Mr. Grim Reaper?" Danny slowly opened his eyes, looking up at the cloaked figure leaning over him.

"Ah, there's our boy! And I see you remember your last walk. Good! That means less annoying questions!" The Grim Reaper nodded and offered him a hand. "I gotta say, though, not sure which cause of death is worse. Death by electrocution or death by getting your heart literally ripped out of your body? And by the ghost who prolonged your life, no less. Oh well! That's in the past, now, and you know how this thing works!"

Danny slowly pushed himself to his feet, looking at his chest. "No wound…"

"Well, did you expect one? Your physical body may have one but you, my young friend, are just a soul now. So, let's go on your long walk!" The Grim Reaper nodded to him. "After you, of course."

Danny nodded, stepping forward and walking down the cobblestone path. "You seem more…jovial than before."

"Well, that's 'cause I'm in a better mood this time. You technically weren't MY assignment last time, the actual guy ended up not being able to do it, but Clockwork specifically sent me this time because we've met before and he thought you would like the familiar." The Grim Reaper replied. "Besides, you're more than just a moody little skeptic teenager that died way too soon now. You've done a lot of stuff, big stuff, so it's a much more interesting trip!"

"You already know about my life?" Danny asked as they walked together. "Why even bother with the walk, then?"

"The walk isn't to educate us about your life, kid. And I don't know all of it, just the big part. Y'know, the Danny Phantom part. The half-ghost kid that beat Pariah Dark back when he came out again. Clockwork was real impressed by it, but don't expect any special treatment from him." He chuckled. "He's usually only impressed for a day or two and then he's back to his moody self."

Danny nodded. "So, this Clockwork guy…who is he? You mentioned him before."

"He's the Master of Time, governor of life and death, and my boss." The Grim Reaper replied. "I figured you would've heard of him by now, but I guess you didn't keep up on ghost lore, did you?"

"No…" Danny admitted, shaking his head. Images appeared around them, but he didn't look at them. He didn't want to see the family he'd lost. "I was honestly flying by the seat of my pants half the time."

"And yet you got involved with the Fright Knight, Pariah Dark, and the Crystal Ball Staff?" The Grim Reaper chuckled. "You're one unlucky kid."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Just call me 'Danny 13'." Danny said sarcastically.

The Grim Reaper chuckled. "So, I asked you this before, and I'm sure your answers have changed. Any regrets?"

Danny looked down. "…Yeah. Loads of them. I never got to say goodbye to my family, Sam and Tucker, or Mr. Lancer. I regret surviving, while everyone else died around me. I regret lying to them, never telling them the truth about me and Phantom. I regret hurting Phantom by splitting from him with Uncle Vlad's help. I regret never trying to get along with Uncle Vlad. I regret never telling Valerie how I felt about her…or Sam. I liked Sam, too. I just never admitted it, even though it was obvious to everyone. I regret never trying to make peace with the older ghosts, never apologizing for hurting them, never trying to negotiate with Walker about the stupid sentence."

He paused, finally looking up at the images. They'd passed his life before the accident, and he was now seeing his life as Danny Phantom go by. "I regret…never getting along with anyone, distrusting everyone, and never once considering if they even _wanted_ a hero around."

"Well, you seemed to be well-liked enough." The Grim Reaper remarked. "From what we heard, at least. Then again, we don't exactly have time to stay and chit-chat. We only go to the human realm to do our jobs."

"Just a few months ago, my family walked down this path…" Danny looked at his sneakers as he walked. "Did they…did they move on? Become ghosts? What happened to them? To my friends? To Mr. Lancer?"

The Grim Reaper sighed. "I'm afraid you're not allowed to know that stuff. Grim Reaper information only." He replied. "Besides, you'll know sooner or later. You gotta make a choice at the end, y'know."

"What if…I don't want to be a ghost?" Danny asked. "Do I have too many regrets to move on?"

"Not half as many as before." The Grim Reaper remarked. "You could move on, yeah."

Danny nodded, looking thoughtful. He looked up at the images and stopped. "Hold on. When did that happen? When did I rob a bank?"

"Oh, Clockwork said you might not recall it." The Grim Reaper sighed. "That was when you were controlled by the Crystal Ball Staff. See the red eyes?" He pointed to the image.

"I…I remember…red." Danny whispered. "Just a red light…and voices…Sam's voice…my voice…the ringmaster's voice…but I never quite saw…until I saved Sam when she fell from the train." He clenched his fists and looked away. "Sam…I failed to save her. Because I was a cheating idiot, she died!"

"Okay, not to be kind of impolite and insensitive, but weren't you cheating in another way, too?" The Grim Reaper remarked. "I mean, just a bit ago you confessed to liking both girls."

"I didn't mean like _that_!" He groaned. "Just…I used my ghost powers to cheat on a test, and that's why we were at the Nasty Burger when it blew!"

"Sorry, just couldn't resist." The Reaper chuckled.

"Well, you could've tried." Danny glared at him.

"Forgive me, I was truly bad." The Reaper held up a gloved hand. "I'll refrain from any more comments like that."

"…Thanks." Danny looked back at the images again. "Let's…move on." He walked on down the path.

"Sure, we're on your Threshold, after all." The Reaper shrugged as he walked alongside him. "We can go as fast or slow as you want."

"What, you don't have any plans after this?" Danny looked at him.

"Pft. I'm done when Clockwork says I'm done, and then I might grab something strong to put me to sleep." The Reaper replied. "So, what do you wanna do? I mean, you have the whole walk to think about it, but do you wanna move on, or become a ghost? You've still got friends in the Ghost Zone."

"Still thinking about it." Danny said, watching the images now as they walked. The images of him and his friends and him and his parents flashed by, and then he stopped short, tears welling up as he saw an image that was different from the others.

The Fenton Ghostcatcher had split him in half, and he had been limited to what "Fun Danny" saw and heard. Seeing Super Phantom flying off without him…he would never admit how much it ached to be without him, and distracted himself so he wouldn't have to think about it. But in this image, he was lying in bed fast asleep, with Super Phantom kneeling next to the bed, brushing his hair out of his face; little things that he never knew, because Phantom was gone by the next morning.

"Danny Fenton?" The Reaper spoke softly. "Do you…do you need a moment?"

"I don't understand what happened." Danny whispered. "He was so angry…he just…completely lost it…" He wiped at his eyes with his balled-up fists. "We had it so good…why did I ever want him gone? Why did I ever ask for Vlad to do that?"

"I don't know." The Reaper sighed, then looked behind them. "But…you really did great together, against Pariah Dark and Fright Knight."

Danny nodded, then tore his eyes away and walked on. Ghost fight after ghost fight…faces and names that he would've no doubt heard so many more times if he hadn't died…and then he stopped short again when he saw the Nasty Burger explode, taking his family and friends with it. Fresh tears formed and he closed his eyes, trying not to see, to remember.

He'd never really cried in front of anyone until now. He was always so full of pride, of emotional constipation…he turned away and walked on, wiping at his eyes. He'd already gone over all the "why"s, and the "if only"s and all the other things connected to that event. Now…he had another event ahead of him. And with it, a new horizon.

He thought that seeing it from an outside view would make it clear to him just why things turned out the way they did. But no matter how many times he watched that same scene over and over again, the moment of Phantom's merging with Plasmius and Danny's subsequent death, he just couldn't figure out how Phantom had lost it so bad. Why did he merge with Plasmius? Why did he attack Danny, and not Vlad?

"I can't move on." He said softly.

"Okay, so you're going to the Ghost Zone, then?" The Reaper asked.

"No. I…it doesn't feel right, becoming a ghost. He's my ghost, so it's…wrong." Danny shook his head.

"Oooookay, then." The Reaper sighed. "Well, you can't just live here on the threshold. You gotta pick one or the other."

"You remember when I asked how to become a Grim Reaper?" Danny asked, looking at him. "And you said 'most of us were created'? Well, 'most' doesn't mean 'all'…"

The Reaper was silent, and then he pulled out what looked like a cell-phone, dialing a number. "Hey, put me through to the boss. I got a problem. Yes, it's important. NOW." He sighed, rolling his eyes. "I hate this hold music…"

"Grim Reapers have cell-phones?" Danny chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Kills the whole medieval image, but it's quicker than carrier pigeon." The Reaper huffed. "Honestly, asking to become a Grim Reaper…you must be insane. Either that or you're a glutton for punishment. You didn't have enough responsibility and trauma in life; you have to become a flippin' Grim Reaper. Oh, hey. What? Bring him IN?! But, sir—he hung up on me." He sighed, hanging up. "Clockwork has absolutely NO phone etiquette." He grumbled.

"Okay, so…?" Danny shrugged.

"So, you're coming to Grim Zone with me." He gripped his scythe and slashed at the air, making a glowing, purple hole. "You first, it closes as soon as I go through."

"Okay… me first." Danny cautiously approached it, and then yelped as he was shoved inside with a rough push at his upper back.

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><p><strong>Whoops, Danny wasn't going fast enough so he got shoved in. Lazy brat, always late. Late, late, late!<br>Someone needs to give Clockwork some lessons on phone etiquette, it is not nice to hang up on people!  
>Wonder what the hateful hold music was? XD And does this mean that Clockwork has a cell-phone? Can Danny get his number after they meet in the presentpast? XD Do you think he'll prank-call him like a brat?  
>I just can't picture him on a cell-phone, but apparently he's got one. Or at least some kind of phone. ~ Zone<br>**


	2. II

**Last we saw, Danny had asked to be a Grim Reaper. Clockwork said to bring him in, and Danny marveled at a Grim Reaper using a cell-phone. What other unpredictable wonders will he see here? ~ Zone **

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><p><strong><span>II<span>**

Danny fell on his hands and knees on a stone walkway, wincing as his knees bruised against it.

"C'mon, best not keep him waiting. For all we know, your dawdling has made us late. And he HATES people being late." The Reaper came out behind him and pulled him to his feet by his arm, leading him past several other cloaked Reapers.

"Where are we?" Danny asked, looking around as they walked.

"Grim Zone, where the Grim Reapers live when we're not working." The Reaper replied, taking him to a blue door with a clockwork gear on it. "Okay, here we are." He reached up to knock, but the door opened on its own. "Aaaand he knows you're here." He looked at Danny. "Good luck, kid."

"Wait, where are you going?" Danny looked at him.

The Reaper pulled down his hood, revealing a young adult with tannish skin, spiked-up red hair and brown eyes. "I told you, I'm gonna get something strong to put me to sleep. Might do some other stuff on the way, but that's my main goal. See you, Danny." He waved and walked off.

Danny looked at the open door and cautiously stepped in, looking around.

Inside, he'd expected to see some kind of office and instead saw what looked like the inside of a tower, with clockwork gears everywhere and a lone figure in purple gazing into glowing orbs that lit up the otherwise-dark room. " Uhm…"

"Close the door." The figure said calmly.

"Right." Danny entered and shut the door, smiling sheepishly. "Are you…Clockwork?"

"I am. And you are Daniel James Fenton, the youngest son of the Fenton family." The orbs darkened and lanterns appeared around them that lit up the room with a purple flame. "You want to be a Grim Reaper."

"Well, I thought it would be interesting, yeah." Danny rubbed the back of his neck.

"'Interesting'." The figure replied. It sounded like a guy, but Danny couldn't say for sure. "You think that governing over life and death would be 'interesting'."

"Er…" Danny cringed. It wasn't that Clockwork had said it in a stern way, but something about how he said it just seemed to scream "are you mocking me, child" to Danny. "I-I want to help. I can't move on, not yet. And I don't want to be a ghost. Not when—"

"Phantom is still running around, and he is your 'ghost form', so you don't think it is right." Clockwork sighed. "Danny, if you become a Grim Reaper, there IS no 'yet'. You can't ever move on. Grim Reapers live outside time, and are attached to no particular timeline." He looked at him. "Do you really want to choose this option? To live outside time, never be reborn in another life, and never be a part of the timeline again?"

Danny looked startled by the question. "I…"

"And do you truly believe you can handle the weight, the responsibility of being a Grim Reaper, of making sure that life and death happens on time and never too early or late?" Clockwork continued. "Can you endure seeing thousands of Final Thresholds, seeing thousands of lives that aren't yours?"

"Well…" Danny glanced away. "I…I didn't feel right, just leaving after being so useless. I want to still be of use in some way."

"'Useless' is a matter of opinion." Clockwork held up his clock staff and an orb appeared, showing the battle against Pariah Dark. "What you have done is not 'useless', Danny. Why don't you tell me the _real_ reason you don't want to move on?"

Danny rubbed the back of his neck again. "I…"

"Is it about Phantom, perhaps?" Clockwork guessed. Though he knew very well, he wanted to hear Danny admit it.

"…Yeah. I want to know…why he became the way he did. When we were one, even when we split once…he was never so cruel." Danny looked away. "He never…attacked me."

"You realize, of course, that you may never get your answer." Clockwork said calmly. "Your work will not allow idle time in the human realm, and you can't be seen by the living – or the dead. You can only observe and intervene and act where needed, but you cannot make conversation or go out of your way to watch Phantom."

Danny pursed his lips. "…It's…worth a try, though, right? And I…I just can't move on until I know. Even if this bars me from ever moving on…I want to try."

Clockwork sighed, shaking his head. "Very well. If you are this set on becoming a Grim Reaper, I will put you to a test. Return to the portal you came in from, I will meet you there." The door opened behind Danny and Clockwork nodded. "Go, and do not stray from the path."

"Uh…sure. I…don't know if I remember the way." Danny admitted.

"Just follow the signs." Clockwork replied.

"Okay." Danny stepped out and walked down the hall, following the signs that said "Portal".

**.**

When he arrived, he found Clockwork waiting by the portal. "Sorry, got lost. The signs aren't actually written in English, I had to ask someone." He explained.

"You don't need to explain your tardiness to me. I know everything." Clockwork said calmly. "Go to that door and pick out a uniform. You should have one with your name on the tag. You'll also need these." He held out a purple hourglass on a silver chain with green…something. Was it sand? With green maybe-sand inside. He also held out a scythe, and patiently watched as Danny went to the door and opened it, looking through the hanging identical robes for the one with his name on the tag.

"No one knows everything." Danny mumbled as he looked through the robes. "Geez, black, black, or black? Not much variety…"

"I don't want to hear it from the boy who wore the same outfit from middle school to his death." Clockwork said, raising an eyebrow. "And I am Master of Time, Danny. I _do_ know everything."

"So you knew I was going to choose this?" He looked at him.

"I knew you were considering the choice, but that doesn't mean I wasn't going to try to talk you out of it. Every choice has a path, Danny. Cause and effect, choice and path. In fact, every choice has many different paths connected to it. You see, Danny, there are many different timelines, all altered from each other by some choice made, and…" He sighed, looking at Danny's blank look. "Oh, why am I bothering? You're fourteen. Just get your uniform on."

"Right." Danny found his uniform robe and pulled it out, looking at it. "Uhm…do I just slip it over my head?"

"That is generally how robes work, yes." Clockwork sighed, shaking his head. This kid, who had a habit of being tardy for everything even before he became a half-ghost, wanted to be a Grim Reaper? He had to be really losing it to even consider his request. Still, maybe he could shape him up to be a decent Grim Reaper, at least.

If he could handle the test.

**.**

"So, what're we doing here?" Danny asked. After putting on the robe, Clockwork had given him the scythe and took his hand, holding out the hourglass in front of him like a lantern. They entered the portal and came out in the rainy sky over Amity Park.

"We're going to collect a soul." Clockwork said calmly. "None of the populace can see us or hear us right now, and as long as you don't let go of my hand and keep your hood on they won't even feel you." They flew down to the sidewalk and landed, Clockwork leading Danny like a parent would lead their child.

Clockwork had the hourglass held in front of him as he walked; the sand inside glowing with a pulsating light. Finally, he stopped at a crosswalk and sighed. "This is the place. See how fast it's pulsating?"

Danny looked around. "What's here?" He asked.

"Something will be here soon." Clockwork replied.

It came suddenly; a car swerved on a puddle too fast and ran a red light, colliding into a man that was crossing the street. The man's body flew from the impact, and then landed in the street. Clockwork pulled Danny along to the man and nodded. "Use your scythe on the body. Don't worry; it'll leave no visible mark. You just have to let the soul out." He released Danny's hand.

"But, what if he's still alive?" Danny asked.

"Danny, it's his time. The sand is all at the bottom, see?" Clockwork gestured to the hourglass. "Now, let the soul out."

Danny nodded and gripped the scythe, having vague flashes of doing this similar motion to cut a rope and drop Sam to the circus floor, and swiped at the man's back. A glowing wound appeared, then disappeared as a transparent version of the man floated out of it.

"Take his hand, Danny." Clockwork nodded. "And cut at the air to open the Final Threshold for him."

Danny nodded and reached out to take the man's hand, cutting at the air with his other hand as he did. A green portal appeared and he heard a distinctive ticking from inside. "So…I just take him in here?"

"Yes. When you're done, just swipe at the air with your scythe and come to my room." Clockwork said, nodding. "I'll be waiting for you."

Danny nodded, pulling the man into the portal with it. It closed behind him as he went, leaving Clockwork behind with the crowds of people that had gathered to gawk.

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><p><strong>I actually watched that scene in TUE so I could have Clockwork say the same thing when he realized he was trying to explain time-related things to a fourteen year old. XD<br>Apparently, Clockwork's idea of a "test" is throwing him into the job! And now Danny is gonna be walking this guy down the Final Threshold, wonder how that's gonna go? ~ Zone  
><strong>


	3. III

**Here we go, our first time walking someone else down the Final Threshold! Let's do this! ~ Zone**

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><p><strong><span>III<span>**

Danny watched as the man slowly woke up, holding his head as a name entered his head: Kyle Jones. That must be this guy's name, he figured. "Kyle Jones?" He tried, lowering his hand to his side.

"Nn…my head." The man groaned. "Who's saying my name?" He looked up at Danny, blinking. "Whoa. It's a bit late for Halloween, isn't it? Or early? Am I having a trip?"

"Uhm, neither." Danny replied. "I'm afraid that you're dead, Mr. Jones."

"Dead?" The man, Kyle Jones, frowned. "Why? How?"

"You got hit by a speeding car." Danny explained. "I'm sorry, you died instantly. Now you're at the Final Threshold."

"What's the 'Final Threshold'?" Kyle asked.

"It's…this place." Danny gestured around them. "It's where you look back on your life and walk down the path to the end, where you make a choice based on how your life went."

"So…like, the pearly gates?" Kyle raised an eyebrow.

"More like the point between the pearly gates and your death?" Danny shrugged. "Anyways, we have a long walk. Do you wanna talk while walking? We can totally do that."

"Sure." Kyle pushed himself to his feet, dusting himself off. "I gotta admit, I expected the Grim Reaper to be more…y'know, skeletal. And taller."

Danny adjusted his sleeves to cover his hands. "Grim Reapers come in all shapes and sizes." He informed him. "Do you have any regrets you want to go over?"

"Well, first and foremost I regret dying. I'll never be able to hold my little girl again." Kyle sighed sadly. "You ever been a father, Grim?"

"…No, sorry. I…never experienced that joy." Danny shook his head, the two starting off down the cobblestoned path.

Kyle sighed. "Well, I also regret never being the best father. I been in and out of jail because of my drug addiction, did a lot of really bad things – a lot of which I don't even remember doing fully." He admitted. "I hurt a lot of people…most of all I hurt my wife by becoming that way. It was just one needle, just one taste…and it destroyed me. I was on my way to rehab when, well, I ended up here." He gestured around him, blinking at the images. "How long those been there?"

"That's your life flashing by." Danny said. "Since it's from Time's view, maybe you'll see the things you don't remember."

"Did you?" He looked at him.

"You assume I was alive once." Danny remarked.

"Were you?" Kyle asked.

Danny was silent for a bit before he spoke. "Yeah. I did a lot of good, a bit of bad, and one bad thing ruined my life forever. A few months after I did it, I was killed." He looked down. "Guess it was what I deserved. Anyways, now I'm a Grim Reaper. I couldn't move on, and I wouldn't become a ghost."

"That's my choice, huh? Move on or become a ghost?" Kyle sighed. "Guess there's no way I could return to life?"

"Not unless someone miraculously brings you to life, but I'm afraid it's your time." Danny sighed. "So…you have a daughter?"

"Yeah. She's a precious little thing, and she'll be a heartbreaker when she's older." Kyle sighed wistfully. "Just like her mother. She's five now…my poor little girl. I bet she won't even remember me."

"I think she will." Danny said softly. "Especially if your wife has pictures and video and talks about you as she grows up."

"That'd be nice. I'm almost tempted to become a ghost just to watch over her." Kyle admitted.

"Don't." Danny shook his head. "Ghosts…most ghosts…are corrupted and become…twisted. They hurt people, especially the ones they loved in life."

"That Danny Phantom kid never hurt anyone." Kyle remarked.

"…Danny Phantom was only half-ghost. At least, before." Danny looked away. "**I**…was Danny Phantom. But something happened, I got split into two people…and Phantom killed me, the human half."

"Ouch." Kyle cringed. "And now you're a Grim Reaper?"

"I didn't want to be a ghost, but I couldn't move on. I chose another path." Danny looked at him. "You don't have to choose that. You can move on, and be reunited with your family in the next life."

Kyle nodded. "Maybe. I'll…think about it. It'll be nice to start over, I guess."

Danny nodded, gripping his scythe tightly. "Yeah."

They walked on in silence after that, just watching the images go by. Kyle would start to say something, then decide against it and Danny had nothing to say that hadn't already been talked about or answered.

Well, there was one thing. "What's your happiest memory?" He asked.

"Oh, that's easy." Kyle grinned. "Well, actually it's rivalling with another one, so I'll just say both. The first is when I proposed to my wife on that cruise, and she said yes. Oh, the stars were in her eyes." He sighed dreamily. "The second happiest memory is when I held my little girl in my arms for the first time, and she letting out the cutest little coo I'd ever heard. It was like a dove's cry, and I just felt so light and happy as I heard it."

"Sounds amazing." Danny smiled. "I'm glad you have such happy memories." He turned his gaze to the images. Kyle Jones had done many bad things for his drug addiction, yes, but there were so many happy memories mixed in with the bad. In Danny's eyes, this man had died too soon. But in Clockwork's eyes, it was his time. He could already see that they wouldn't be getting along when it came to life-expectancies…

**.**

"Welcome back." Clockwork said as Danny came through the portal. "And what did he choose?"

"Don't you already know?" Danny frowned.

"Yes, but I want you to tell me anyway." Clockwork said calmly.

"He chose to move on and start a new life." Danny sighed, nodding. "So…did I pass the test?"

"Yes." Clockwork nodded. "Take off your robe and go put it and the scythe away. I'll take you to your new home."

"I have a home here?" Danny asked.

"All the Grim Reapers do." Clockwork said calmly.

Danny nodded and went to hang up his robe and scythe, noticing that his name was engraved on the scythe in fancy lettering as he hung it up. "Huh. Cool." He commented, then turned to see Clockwork holding out the hourglass necklace. "Do I hang that up, too?"

"No, this you will keep on you." He walked over and put it around Danny's neck. "You'll find there is an outfit at your new home for you, but if you don't want to be washing your clothes every single day after wearing them you'll want to go pick up some more at the store."

"There's a store? What's the currency?" Danny asked, fingering the chain on his new lecklace thoughtfully.

"One moment. Grace, is his card ready?" Clockwork looked at the robed figure behind a desk near the portal.

"Yep." A woman's voice said from the raised hood. She set down a purple and green card with Danny's name on it. "You earned 20 points today, kid. Good job."

"Points?" Danny walked over and picked up the card.

"That's your currency. It's equivalent to dollars in America." Clockwork explained calmly. "Now, come. And don't lose your card, or it's 15 points to get a replacement."

"Ouch." Danny cringed.

Clockwork nodded, then paused. "We need to convert you before we go into the city. Come." He took Danny's hand and pulled him along, walking to a room with a large, purple door.

"So much purple here." Danny remarked.

"You can customize your own home, if you want to." Clockwork said calmly as he opened the door and led Danny in.

"Ah! An ex-living!" A robed man greeted, looking over from where he was putting books on a shelf. "I suppose he needs to be converted?"

"Yes." Clockwork released Danny's hand and nudged him forward.

"Alright. Go stand on that green platform there, er…"

"Danny." Clockwork nodded. "His name is Danny."

""Right. Go stand over on that green platform, Danny." The man finished putting the books away and then went to a desk that looked like it had a magic circle carved into it.

"Will it…hurt?" Danny asked.

"Well, maybe a little." The man shrugged. "I've never been converted myself, so I wouldn't know. Let me know if it hurts, okay?" He grinned, his face slightly visible as he looked up at Danny.

"Okay…" Danny walked over and stepped onto the platform. "What now?"

"Now, just wait." The man said, looking at his carved circle and starting to move his hands over it. Danny looked from him to Clockwork, confused by the lack of anything happening, and then he let out a sharp gasp as the platform started to glow purple and engulf him in a white light.

"Nn….aaahhhhh!" Danny cried out, his arms wrapping around himself as he felt the sensations of life returning to his body. He could feel his blood moving through him again, but he couldn't feel his heart beating. Where was his heart? How could he have blood without a heart? And then it hit like just after a heart-attack, beating in his chest as if he had never died – as if Phantom had never ripped it out. He fell to his knees, the light keeping him from falling out as his breathing returned abruptly and his pale skin turned a healthier color.

And then he looked at his hands and noticed a purple glow forming around his body, and the green maybe-sand in the hourglass started to glow an ectoplasmic green. Then the light around him faded and the platform stopped glowing and he fell forward, lying on the floor in front of it and breathing heavily in agonizing pain, his blue eyes wide and unfocused.

* * *

><p><strong>Man: Well, Clockwork, looks like we broke him. Is he gonna live? LOL!<br>Clockwork: He'll be fine. (Don't actually say that chat-speak out-loud...)  
>Man: Suuuure. I'll get my measuring tape, just in case.<br>It looks like Clockwork just brought Danny back to life! Only for him to die from shock again. :p Whee, cliffhanger! 8D ~ Zone  
><strong>


	4. IV

**Sorry for the cliffhanger, guys! XD Don't worry, Danny's okay! He's just glowing funny now. ~ Zone  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong><span>IV<span>**

"Danny?" Clockwork walked over and knelt next to him.

"Nn…" Danny groaned in pain as consciousness slowly returned to him. "Ow…that hurt…" He whimpered, curling up into a fetal position on his side.

"Do you need water?" Clockwork suggested.

"Sure…water sounds good." Danny slowly looked up at him, his eyes shaking. "What just happened?"

"Your body was converted from that of a ghost to that of a Grim Reaper. A Grim Reaper has many of the needs of a human, but powers of a ghost." Clockwork explained. "How do you feel?"

"Alive…but also not." Danny looked at his glowing hands. "…Purple. Why so much purple?"

"Because it is." Clockwork looked up as the other man approached with a glass of water.

"Hey, kid." The man knelt next to him, handing him the glass. Danny pushed himself into a sitting position and took it, downing the glass swiftly. "Whoa, careful there!" He chuckled. "How do you feel?"

"For the record, that FREAKIN' hurt!" Danny said, handing back the glass.

"If you have enough energy to say that with such enthusiasm, then you're fine." Clockwork got up and offered him a hand. "Come, let's take you home."

Danny nodded, taking his hand and letting the purple-clad ghost pull him up. "You still didn't answer the purple question."

"It just happened that way." Clockwork wrapped his free arm around Danny's shoulder to give him support and started for the door. "Until next time, Freya."

"Yep." The man waved, going back to sorting his books.

Danny looked over to watch him, but Clockwork had already closed the door and started to escort Danny down the hallway.

"Sir? Uhm…can we fly there? My legs feel kind of…wobbly." Danny pleaded, looking up at him.

"There will be no flying, Danny." Clockwork said calmly. "In Grim Zone, you don't have ghost powers. You're just as human as the rest of them." He smiled at him. "Don't worry, though. You'll regain your powers when you're actively working."

"Well, I still don't feel so great…" Danny groaned, slumping against him.

Clockwork blinked and knelt a bit, lifting Danny into his arms in a cradling position. "Very well. I understand that the conversion was rough on you." He stood up straight again and walked on, his grip firm on Danny as he carried him through the hallway.

They passed through a large doorway and Danny moved a hand up to shield his eyes from the setting sun. "So bright…is that the real sun?"

"No, it is simply a projection. It works as well as the real sun, though; very good for gardening, if you would like to do that." Clockwork smiled at him.

"I'm not really the gardening type." Danny admitted.

"It'll save on points to grow your own fruits and vegetables. Since you're just starting out, I would advise you try it a little." Clockwork said calmly, then stopped short with a heavy sigh. "Cliff, are you getting drunk again?"

"Hey, I'm off-duty!" The man that Danny recognized as the Grim Reaper who's picked him up said, looking annoyed.

"Just don't come in tomorrow tardy or with a hangover." Clockwork shook his head, sighing.

"Yes, sir, Clockwork, sir." Cliff gave a lazy salute before walking on down the path, turning down an intersection.

Danny chuckled a bit. "He's different from what I first thought."

"Which time?" Clockwork asked as he walked on, passing the intersection.

"Both?" Danny shrugged. "He was more friendly the second time."

"The second time he was actually there on his own time. The first time, he covering for someone who got drunk enough they were still throwing up the next day." Clockwork rolled his eyes.

"That explains that conversation just now." Danny nodded.

"Indeed it does." Clockwork stopped at a small house with a little picket-fence yard and opened the gate, closing it behind him before he walked to the front door. "Danny, place the bottom of your hourglass against this clock symbol on the door."

"Okay." Danny did so and they heard the door unlocking. "Whoa, cool."

"And now, welcome home." Clockwork opened the door and carried him inside.

It wasn't that fancy a place, but it was furnished. There was no TV in the living room, but there was a cell-phone resting on a coffee table. There was a small but decent-sized kitchen area, and he guessed the bathroom, laundry-room and bedroom were in the two doors off to the side.

Clockwork gently set Danny down on his feet and nodded. "Starting tomorrow, you have to wear the clothes I've provided for you. You should have two sets, and if you want to customize them then you need to buy sashes or whatever you want with your points. The cupboards are stocked, but you'll have to refill them when they're close to empty, and that cell-phone is only to be used to contact people in Grim Zone and myself. In fact, you're not to show yourself or talk to any ghost or human. Your human clothes will remain intact, but you can only look at them or wear them around the house. If you're going to go out, change clothes."

"Right, so my usual day clothes are now my pajamas." Danny grinned. "I can work with that."

Clockwork nodded. "I don't answer the phone for pleasure calls. You can only call me if it's for work, understand?" He turned to the door. "I'll leave you to get comfortable then."

"Hey, Clockwork?" Danny looked at him. "Can I buy a TV?"

"Theoretically, but you can't get anything on it." Clockwork shrugged. "No service. You could buy one to play games on, though. We can arrange for video games to be copied over and brought here."

"I'll keep that in mind." Danny sighed, looking back at his new house. "So…I live alone?"

"You're a Grim Reaper. You don't need a housemate." Clockwork walked out. "I'll see you at work tomorrow at 9:00am sharp. I will tolerate tardiness for one week only." He closed the door behind him.

Danny sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Right…so, this is my house. And I have a job already that I can't be late for. And I just got carried by my boss. Isn't that, like, some kind of breach of conduct or something? Aw, whatever." He shrugged and went to the cell-phone, picking it up and looking it over. "Wait, how do I charge this thing?!"

* * *

><p><strong>Oh, Danny. What a typical teen. XD You get told all this stuff, and your biggest concern right now is how to charge your phone?<br>I bet TVs cost a LOT of points.  
>Uh, Clockwork? Isn't there something you forgot to mention to him? No? Aw, it'll come up eventually and he'll tell him then.<strong>  
><strong>Danny gardening is an odd image, I must admit. ~ Zone<strong>


	5. V

**Alright, Danny! You're a Grim Reaper, you got a job, a phone, and a place to live! What will you do next?  
>Well, what does any self-respecting main character do when they're in a new place? Time to explore! *plays RPG town music* ~ Zone<br>**

* * *

><p><strong><span>V<span>**

After looking around the house a little and changing from his human clothes and into the black hooded shirt, pants, boots and gloves that were provided for him, Danny slipped the cell-phone and points card into his pocket and stepped out into the night, touching the bottom of the hourglass to the door to lock it. "Okay…I guess I should look around a bit before bed." He looked over and saw the sun was almost finished setting, the moon visible now, and the lanterns along the cobblestone paths had been lit.

His boots clicked on the stones as he walked down the path, the weight of the hourglass around his neck constantly reminding him it was there. He looked around as he walked, musing about how the place had a kind of medieval feel about it, like you would find in a fantasy RPG or something. This image was, of course, ruined by the sight of a neon-lit building that he could see a few different people entering.

"Danny!" He blinked and looked over to see Cliff running up to him. "You're already changed and checking out the city? That's great; I can introduce you to some of the others!"

"What happened to drinking yourself to bed?" Danny asked.

"Well, I was about to do that…and then I remembered there's a certain new Grim Reaper who needs a welcome party!" Cliff grinned and ruffled Danny's hair. "C'mon, I'll introduce you to my friends!"

Danny nodded, following him towards the building. 'Friends…' He thought. "Hey, Cliff? Uhm…now that I'm a Grim Reaper, will you answer my earlier questions?"

"Hm? Questions?" Cliff looked at him.

"My friends…and my family. What happened to them?" Danny asked.

Cliff pursed his lips. "…They…moved on. Your parents couldn't bear the thought of being ghosts, and your sister wanted to start anew. As for your friends, Clockwork wouldn't LET them remain as ghosts. He didn't…want them to see what Phantom would become. He appeared to them himself and said that it would be best if they moved on." He looked at Danny. "He didn't tell them what it was that was so terrible, of course. They would've insisted on staying. And he never gave them the Reaper option, either. He thought they would break too many rules trying to knock sense into Phantom when the time came."

"So…he knew it was gonna happen?" Danny frowned. "Why didn't he prevent it? Wait, WHAT is he going to become?"

"You'll have to see for yourself. And Clockwork's job is only to observe, not interfere. And that's pretty much what we have to do, too; though we get the fun task of picking up the dead and keeping people from dying before their time." Cliff stopped at the door and opened it. "Well, shall we go in?" He smiled.

Danny nodded, stepping into the building and looking around. Cliff stepped in behind him and shut the door. "What is this place?"

"This is the community hall." Cliff told him. "We pretty much all gather, hang out, watch someone make a fool on themselves onstage, whatever. Though, since we so rarely get a new Grim Reaper, it's time to celebrate!" He grinned. "Which means I gotta go tell Pops." He headed off, pulling Danny along with him.

Danny looked around as he was pulled through. All around him were people dressed in black clothes, some of them with different accessories and all of them with varying hair colors and styles. Some even had makeup, girls AND guys. It was like being at a Goth convention, and he sighed a bit, thinking of how well Sam would fit in here.

"Pops!" Cliff called, approaching a man dressed in black with a purple apron. "I got big news, big news!"

"Alright, Cliff, what is it?" The man asked, setting down a glass he was cleaning. "Oh? Hello, who is this? A new face, very young, too."

"This is Danny. He's just become a Grim Reaper today!" Cliff grinned. "Let's celebrate!"

"Well, this would be our 2000th Reaper. I suppose it is cause for celebration." Pops smiled, then went over to a large bell and clanged on it, disturbing the crowd and the play that was being put on onstage. "Everyone, change of plans tonight!" He said, his voice booming around the building. "We have with us our 2000th Grim Reaper! Food and drinks are on the house, and let's have some music instead of the acting!"

"Awesome, I don't have to be on stage anymore!" One of the actors said as he scrambled off the stage with the others.

"What's his name, Cliff?" Pops grinned at Danny.

"His name is Danny." Cliff smiled at Danny. "Don't be shy, you can talk to him."

"Uh, hi." Danny said, feeling a bit nervous about all this.

"Take him to the stage so people can see him, Cliff." Pops nodded. "I have a cake to conjure up! What kind do you want, Danny?"

"Uhm…chocolate?" Danny shrugged.

"Chocolate it is!" Pops clapped his hands together, going into a door behind the counter and barking orders to someone inside.

Cliff smiled and pulled Danny along to the stage, getting on and pulling him up after. "Everyone, this here is Danny! Treat him nice, he's a little bit shy!" He grinned at the crowd.

"Aww, what a cutie!" One of the girls near the stage cooed.

"Wait, he looks a little familiar!" Another one said, moving closer to Danny. "Yeah! I know this face! You're Danny Fenton, from Amity Park!"

"You…know me?" Danny blinked.

"Well, yeah! Everyone in the Ghost Zone and Grim Zone knows who you are! Or were, as the case may be." The second one said, nodding. "You were Danny Phantom, you sealed up Pariah Dark at almost the cost of your own life!"

"Whoa, a celebrity!" Another one cried. "We've never had a celebrity become a Reaper before! This is so cool!"

Danny looked at Cliff nervously, not sure how to react to all the attention. By the time he was ushered off the stage so the band could get on, he'd been greeted by too many faces to count and his hand had been shaken by just as many enthusiastic pairs of hands.

"I had no idea I was such a big deal." Danny admitted when he was finally taken to a table near the bar counter. "I mean, I fought Pariah Dark to save my city, not for all…this." He gestured to the excited crowd.

"Sometimes, something that you think doesn't matter much is a really big thing." Cliff chuckled. "There's a library here, if you want to read up on all the lore you didn't before. Might help you to learn about things like who Pariah Dark is and all that."

"Cliff!" A light-skinned girl came over to their table and hugged the older male. "What's all the hubbub? I just got here!" She looked up at him expectantly.

"Oof! Hey, Lisa. Danny, this is Lisa. Lisa, Danny. He's just become a Grim Reaper today." Cliff gestured to him.

Lisa looked at him, blinking. "Oh, but that means you also kicked it today. I'm sorry." She hugged him. "I hope it wasn't too horrible a death, and welcome to Grim Zone. I expect there'll be cake."

"Uhm, yeah." Danny nodded, blushing a bit as her breasts pressed against his chest. She looked to be around sixteen, but she had the build of an adult woman so she could just be one of those young-looking adults. Her long, blonde hair was tied up into two ponytails and when she looked up at him again he noticed she had one green eye and one blue eye. "I was told that, yeah."

"Well, this makes…what, how many?" She looked at Cliff.

"Number 2000." Cliff said, nodding.

"Wow. There's a lot of us, aren't there?" Lisa grinned. "Anyways, welcome to the company, Danny! How do you like it so far?"

"Well, it's…odd. I mean, I didn't think I'd be so…well, alive. But really not." Danny admitted.

"You'll get used to it." Lisa nodded. "Though, it's a shame you died so young."

"Why?" Danny blinked.

"Well, Grim Reapers don't age like ghosts and humans do." Lisa shrugged.

"…Ghosts age?" Danny looked at Cliff.

"I guess since you only got into the whole ghost stuff last year, it makes sense that this is news to you." Cliff nodded. "Yeah, ghosts age like humans. Not us Reapers, though."

"Darn." Danny frowned. "So, Phantom's gonna grow up, and I'm gonna be stuck a kid?"

"Yep." Cliff shrugged.

"So unfair." Danny pouted.

"Aww." Lisa rubbed his head, hugging him. "Poor Danny, only fourteen!"

"Almost fifteen." He pouted, then looked up as the cake was brought out. "Whoa, that was quick."

"Heh, the chef here has special equipment." Cliff grinned. "Let's get you a slice of cake, kiddo." He patted Danny's shoulder and went to get him a slice.

Lisa sat down where Cliff was, looking at Danny. "Danny, listen. You'll have nightmares for the first few months, but don't let them bug you too much. We all got them, and they all passed in time." She gently took his hand. "But if you do have trouble, just let me know and I'll give you something that really helped me with mine. Alright?"

Danny smiled. "Thank you, Lisa. You're really nice."

Lisa beamed and hopped up from her seat, kissing his head. "I'm glad you think so, Danny!"

He blushed, trying not to think of how she had her breasts pressed against his shoulder. It was gonna be tough, being in perpetual puberty…

* * *

><p><strong>Poor Danny. XD Stuck at fourteen forEVER! As if his day couldn't get any worse, what with losing your ghost-half and then said ghost-half literally ripping out your heart wasn't bad enough! Phantom gets to grow up and be all hot and make girls swoon and he's just gonna be a cute little puppy forEVER!<br>Well, maybe some Grim girls will be interested in him, if he can get over Valerie. XD ~ Zone**


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